Sustainability
Ensuring future relevance for our company
Catering to the food and beverage industry, which strongly focuses on minimising water consumption in all processes, inevitably requires a similar approach. Thinking sustainably is necessary when constructing cleaning equipment and designing solutions with minimal water use. It is also a guiding principle in many other aspects of System Cleaners' daily operations.
Read on to learn more.
System Cleaners is part of the privately owned industrial group Axel Johnson International, which comprises over 200 companies and 6,000 employees across 35 countries. Dedicated to advancing sustainability, the group operates within six business divisions, with System Cleaners belonging to the AxFlow Group.
Sustainability is at the core of Axel Johnson International’s strategy. A long-term commitment to ensure success for all companies in the group involves continuously focusing on sustainable decision-making, development and innovation to retain future relevance.
As part of AxFlow Group, we are governed by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and have committed to reaching the ambitious 2030 targets set forth by Axel Johnson International through annual reporting. Initiatives and follow-ups are fixed items on the board meeting agenda.
We work with sustainability at all levels within the company and have taken various steps to reduce our environmental impact through multiple initiatives and investments.
Environmental
Reducing our environmental impact is a shared task. Focusing on waste streams and recycling, renewable energy consumption, and supply chain management, even the most minor local adjustments can have a long-term impact.
Product-wise, we continually work towards minimising resource consumption in both production and use.
Acknowledging our customers’ demands for sustainable solutions, we offer high-end equipment with long product life and high recyclability.
Social
Inclusion, diversity, and respect are core values at System Cleaners. A high level of employee engagement is a cornerstone of our organisation. We believe that influence fosters satisfaction, and as measured by external auditors, we are ranked among the top in terms of job satisfaction.
We take our social responsibilities seriously and support local job centres and the municipality by offering job and internship opportunities to young or disadvantaged individuals.
Our Code of Ethics and Value Handbook guides our employees in maintaining an accommodating and great place to work.
Governance
Our Code of Conduct guides our strategy, operations, and decision-making processes. Ethical behaviour in all aspects of our business - towards employees, suppliers, and customers - is part of our DNA.
Set roles and processes serve as guidelines for responsible governance. The Trade Compliance Clause in our Terms & Conditions outlines our customers’ responsibility to comply with international regulations and sanctions, ensuring that our products are not inadvertently misused.
A whistleblower service is available for reporting unethical behaviour observed at any level within the organisation.
98%
of all product components are covered by our Supplier Code of Conduct
86%
of total waste is recycled
100%
renewable energy at our headquarters
Sustainable ‘in-house’ energy production
Our office and production facilities are sustainably powered. Rooftop solar panels make us energy-independent, and any surplus production is sent back to the grid.
Several investments in energy optimisation have significantly reduced our environmental impact. Implementing an energy management system enables us to spot and seize optimisation opportunities.
Waste management
Throughout the company, we continuously focus on our waste streams. All waste eligible for recycling must be disposed of in the correct containers. Anything from paper and food waste to stainless steel and plastic is sorted into 16 fractions, increasing the level of recycling.
In 2023, we recycled 76% of our waste and 85% in 2024, setting the direction for reaching the 2030 target of 100% waste recycling.
We continuously modularise our product development to optimise resource consumption during production and service.
Sustainability in our packaging
Shipping parcels and equipment to customers worldwide requires durable packaging materials. We strive to use as much recycled and recyclable material as possible:
- Most cardboard packaging is 95-98% recycled material
- FSC-certified wooden boxes
- Recycled wooden pallets for transport
- Biodegradable corn filling for parcels
Discarded wood is collected locally and recycled as wood chips or similar.
Reducing our carbon footprint
We also strive to source as many of our components locally as possible to minimise transport and CO2 emissions. Our suppliers also commit to reducing their environmental impact by signing our Code of Conduct, thus adhering to UN Global Compact #7-9.
Combined with the sustainability initiatives above and a positive, supportive mindset, we continue to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
Caring for the present and future
Our employees are the foundation of our success, which is why supporting them is a priority. Circumstances change throughout life, and we provide opportunities for our employees to accommodate them. By offering flexible work hours and schedules, we aim to help them achieve the best possible work-life balance for their unique needs and situations.
We strive to ensure that our employees’ skills are up-to-date and provide opportunities to gain new. Targets are in place for training and education, as we have targets for absence, gender and age.
A high degree of employee involvement in operations fosters a feeling of ownership and creates a good work environment.
Our commitment is reflected in our equipment and solutions
Our mission has always been to design and manufacture cleaning equipment and solutions with a long lifespan using as few resources as possible throughout the entire product life.
The protective cabinets housing our equipment’s internal components are crafted from stainless steel and contain 60.8% recycled material. At product end-of-life, all stainless-steel components in our equipment can be recycled into raw material for new components, reducing resource waste.
Our low-pressure cleaning technology optimises water usage and outperforms other cleaning methods in efficiency. In every solution we design, we look to minimise water consumption without compromising cleaning performance and food safety.
